On Point

State v. Robert B. Sonnenberg, 2012AP1025, District 2, 9/19/12

court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity

Evidence held sufficient to sustain Sonnenberg’s conviction for OWI-1st. He admitted that he drank some indeterminate amount of alcohol before his car had a flat tire and then drank more on the side of the road; after an officer encountered him, he performed poorly on FSTs and his blood draw resulted in a .184 BAC.

Village of Menomonee Falls v. Timothy E. Rotruck, 2012AP1024-FT, District 2, 9/1, District 2, 9/19/12

court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity

Concededly proper traffic stop; after citations issued, officer sought and obtained consent to search vehicle, resulting in seizure of contraband – court concludes that, under the circumstances, traffic stop had clearly ended thus consent wasn’t product of an unnecessarily prolonged (therefore illegal) detention.

State v. Jose O. Gonzalez-Villarreal, 2012 WI App 110 (recommended for publication); case activity

Counsel (Michael J. Knoeller) was present while the police interrogated, and elicited incriminating responses from, his client, Gonzalez-Villarreal. G-V didn’t speak English, and Knoeller doubled as interpreter. The state issued charges, and Knoeller continued to represent G-V. However, the state moved to disqualify Knoeller as counsel, arguing that his service as interpreter during the interrogation created a risk that Knoeller might have to testify.

State v. Reginald Scott Williams, 2011AP1379-CR, District 1, 9/18/12

court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); case activity

Williams drove at an excessive speed (30+ over the limit), and crashed into another car, resulting in death and serious injuries. He pleaded no contest to one count of homicide by negligent use, § 940.10 and one count of reckless driving / GBH, § 346.62(4). At the time of the pleas,

State v. Christopher J. Felton, 2012 WI App 114 (recommended for publication); case activity

Search & Seizure – PBT – Probable Cause 

Notwithstanding that Felton passed field sobriety tests, probable cause existed to administer a preliminary breath test.

¶8        This section does not require that the officer have probable cause to arrest a driver for drunk driving before giving that driver a preliminary-breath test. 

State v. Richard P. Flehmer, 2012AP534-CR, District 3, 9/18/12

court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity

Delay of 29 months (22 of which attributable to state) between filing of complaint and trial, while presumptively prejudicial, didn’t violate 4-factor test for right to speedy trial:

¶15      Balancing all four factors, we conclude Flehmer’s right to a speedy trial was not violated.  Although the ­­­twenty-two month delay attributable to the State is a long period of time,

State v. William Thomas Hudson, III, 2010AP1598-CR, District 4, 9/13/12

court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); case activity

¶9        “The concept of outrageous governmental conduct originates from the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment.” [State v. Givens, 217 Wis. 2d 180, 188, 580 N.W.2d 340 (Ct. App. 1998).] Outrageous governmental conduct may arise where the government’s conduct is so enmeshed in the criminal activity that prosecution of the defendant would be repugnant to the American criminal justice system.  

State v. Carl Rissley, 2012 WI App 112 (recommended for publication); case activity 

Reasonable suspicion supported Terry stop to investigate possible crime. Homeowner called police to report early-morning confrontation with possible trespasser, who then took flight in van at high rate of speed, and officer stopped vehicle matching description within five minutes of report:

¶13      All of this occurred just before 3:00 a.m.  When a citizen is confronted in his driveway by an unknown stranger at this time in the morning,

State v. Alvin C. Harris, 2012AP518-CR, District 2, 9/12/12

court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity

Plea-Withdrawal 

Harris failed to make a prima facie showing that his plea colloquy was defective, therefore his motion to withdraw plea was properly denied without an evidentiary hearing:

¶7        Here, Harris’s motion alleged that his plea was not entered knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily because of a defect in the plea colloquy.  

Chintan V. Patel v. State of Wisconsin, 2012 WI App 117 (recommended for publication); case activity

¶12      In this appeal, we are asked to determine whether the trial court erred in denying Patel’s writ of coram nobis.  The writ of coram nobis is a discretionary writ of “very limited scope” that is “addressed to the trial court.”  Jessen v. State,